Center punch



INVENTOR HTTOHNEY Dec. 7, 1948. E. F. HAGER CENTER runca Filed April 5, 1945 ard H which supports tnc punch. There are no springs or other mechanism against which the hammer must be forced in order to elevate it to a desired cocked position. Thehammer, isreleased by a slight pivotal movement ofthg catch lever 34. The hammer has a hardened head element 36 which engages the head 23 of the impres. sion forming tool 2!. The spring 25 cushions the I shock and insures normally retract the tool 2 I. A

ed position for While I have disclosed my invention in con nection with a specific embodiment and m tes nection with bracket 1 2 and standard Hit should be understood that the punch may be used with other supporting arrangements and the, details of the punch may also be varied without'depart ing from the invention. It should therefore 'be clearly understood that this embodiment is shown and described by way of example only and notes a limitation of the scope of the "invention asset forth in the objects and the appendedjclaimsf I claim:

l. A center punch comprisinga hollow body, means resiliently supporting an impression forming tool at the lower end of saidbody, a hammer disposed in said hollow body, a stem extending upwardly from said hammer and 'protruding', out of the upper end of said body by which said hams mer may be lifted to a cocking positionfor' release to produce a hammer blow on said tool promember for said tubular body, an axial opening in said top member, a hammer disposed in said tubular body, a stem connected to said hammer and extended. upwardly through said axial, opening, said stem havinga plurality of spaced notches and a catch pivotally mounted at the top of said ;body to releasably engage said notches to retain said hammer in desired elevated positions, wherebyrelease of said hammer by actuation of said ,,10

.catchproducesa hammer blow on said tool prob portional to the elevated position of said hammerysaidhammergsaid body and said stem hav- ,ingclearance for vertical movement of said stem and hammer to minimize transmission to said body of force exerted on said stem to lift said hammer. I

5. A center punch comprising a tubular body adapted to be held in a substantially vertical p0 sition, an end piece for the lower end of salidftubular body, said end piece having an axially dis-' posed bore therein with bushings at opposite ends portional to the elevated position of said ham; mer, and means for selecting diiferentpredeter mined elevated positions from which said ham mer may be released, said body, said hammer and said lifting means-having clearance for vertical movement of said stem and hammer'to' minimize transmission of the lifting'forceto'said body.

2. A center punch comprising'a hollow b'ody,

means resiliently supporting an" impression forming tool at the lower end'of said body; a top member for said body, said top member having anax ial opening therethrough, a hammer loosely disposed in said body, a stem connected to' said hammer and extended upwardly loosely through said axial opening by which said'fihammr can be freely lifted in said body, said stem havinga notch, and a catch carried'by said top member to releasably engage with'said notch' to retain said" hammer in elevated po'sitionwhereby release'of said hammer by actuation of said catch ;pro'' duces a hammer blow 'on'said tool proportio'nalto the elevated position of said hammer. 1

3. A center punch comprising a h01low=body,'

means resiliently supporting an impression form:

ing tool at the lower end of said body, a ham-* mer disposed in said hollow body, a stem con-y nected to said hammer and extended upwardly from the top of said body by which said hammer can'be freely lifted in saidbody, said-stem having a plurality of spaced notches, and-a catch-"pivotally mounted at the top of said-body to releasablyengage said notches to retain said hammer in'desired elevatedpositions, whereby release of said hammer by actuation of said catch produces a hammer blow on said tool proportional to the "ele vated position of said hammer; said-body; hammer and said stem having clearance for'vertical movement of said stem and hammer torinsurea free lifting movementofsaid hammer,'thereby= minimizing tran body.

4. A .center'punch com smission of lifting force to said prising a tubular body;

an impression forming tool in said body, atop-- 7 hammer.

of the bore, an impression forming tools lidably engaged in said bushings, said bushings-serving" ..to' maintain said tool in truly aligned relation througho'utits movement'means for resiliently elevating said tool, a hammer in said tubular body, and means for lifting said hammer to a position'for release to produce a hammer blowon said tool proportional to the elevated position of said hammer, said means for resiliently elevat-' ing said tool including a member secured atthe lower end "of said body, said member having aninwardly disposed portion at its upper end, said tool having abutment means toengage said portion, and a spring disposed between'said endmally urge piece and'sai'dabutment means to nor the latter against said portion.

' 6. In a punching machine, 'atubular body, a

. standard, a bracket carried by said standard and extending outwardly therefrom to' support said tubular body in substantially vertical position,

means resiliently'supporting an impression form-" ing tool at the lower end of said body, a hammer disposed in said body, means including a stem connectedto said hammer and extended through the upper end of said'body for freely lifting said hammer to a 'position for release to produce a hammer blow on said tool, said body, said ham-' mm andsaid lifting means having clearance for vertical movement of said stem and hammer to insure a free lifting movement of said" hammer, thereby minimizing transmission to said bracket and standard of the'force required to lift said EMIL F. HAGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 

